HIS AND HERS HOLIDAY STYLE: FOR A SPECIAL OCCASION AT OMNI BERKSHIRE PLACE HOTEL

The Steele Maiden: His and Hers Special Occasion Holiday Style - Red Wrap dress and navy blue suit

For the past three years, Adam and I have gotten into the habit of taking holiday pictures (in 2015 we searched for Christmas trees and in 2016 we took a ride in a very special ’54 Chevy) – but this year we thought it might be fun to get all dressed up. So we put on our finest – outfits that would be perfect for any holiday special occasion like a night at the theater, New Year’s Eve party or formal wedding – and headed straight for the rooftop of the Omni Berkshire Place hotel.

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This past Summer we had the most amazing staycation at the hotel and ever since then have thought of the Omni Berkshire so fondly. But with the place all dressed up for the holidays? We were floored. So we danced on the rooftop balcony overlooking St. Patrick’s Cathedral, surrounded by skyscrapers. We drank champagne and ran around a fancy suite with our own personal Christmas tree. And we laughed about how two kids from the country ever ended up here, with this crazy life. It was pure holiday magic.

And – because we always want to inspire you all to have stylish adventures of your own – I’m giving one lucky reader the chance to win a one-night stay at the Omni Berkshire (enter via my Instagram – giveaway launching at 9AM today 11/28). Whether you’re a New Yorker looking for a chic staycation or an out of towner dreaming of your own getaway in the big apple, this is your place. Good luck!

 

The Steele Maiden: His and Hers Special Occasion Holiday Style - Red Wrap dress and navy blue suit

Adam wore a classic slim fit navy blue suit and I wore this (under $100!) slinky red satin wrap dress and fun starry night statement earrings. Also – can we take a moment to talk about these shoes? They’re Tamara Mellon (one of the founders of Jimmy Choo who started her own line) and are in the running for the most amazing heels I think I’ve ever worn. If you’re looking for a luxurious splurge for the holidays – I can’t recommend them enough.

On Jess: Express Satin Wrap Dress | J.Crew Star Statement Earrings | Gigi New York Clutch c/o | Tamara Mellon Pistol 105 Pumps c/o 

On Adam: Topman Navy Suit | Ben Sherman Oxfords

The Steele Maiden: Omni Berkshire Place Hotel - NYC at the Holidays The Steele Maiden: His and Hers Special Occasion Holiday Style - Red Wrap dress and navy blue suit The Steele Maiden: His and Hers Special Occasion Holiday Style - Red Wrap dress and navy blue suit The Steele Maiden: Special Occasion Holiday Style - Red Wrap dress and Tamara Mellon Pistol Pumps The Steele Maiden: His and Hers Special Occasion Holiday Style - Red Wrap dress and navy blue suit The Steele Maiden: His and Hers Special Occasion Holiday Style - Red Wrap dress and navy blue suit The Steele Maiden: His and Hers Special Occasion Holiday Style - Red Wrap dress and navy blue suit

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HIS AND HERS CASUAL FALL STYLE WITH OLD NAVY

The Steele Maiden: His and Hers Casual Fall Style with Old Navy

^ That feeling when you’re both headed towards the weekend, arm in arm. We actually snapped these photos a couple weeks back when we were out at the lake house over Labor Day. There’s the cutest small town (Milton, PA) that we drive through and if there’s time, like to stop along our way. It was already feeling like Fall that particular morning and so we both were happy to have packed comfy denim, cozy button downs and soft knits (a striped tee for me and hoodie for him) – all from Old Navy.

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TRAVEL TIPS FOR COUPLES

The Steele Maiden: Travel Tips for Couples

We’ve all seen it (or been the ones ourselves) – the couple fighting at baggage claim or pulled off to the side of the road looking angrily at a map. What is it about travel that can bring out the worst in a couple? Adam and I don’t claim to never ever fight while traveling, but after 6+ years and countless trips together I like to think we’ve hit our stride. And since I often share the perfectly posed ‘after’ photos of our vacations.. I thought I’d share a more personal look at how we travel together in the hopes that it may save you from being the one in that baggage claim fight next time. Below, our best advice:

GETTING THERE IS HALF THE FUN –

Okay, okay, so your 12 hour flight to Hawaii probably isn’t going to be as fun as laying on the beach with a daiquiri in hand.. but if you go into it dreading the actual ‘travel’ part of the trip I promise you’re going to be way more likely to be in a bad mood and probably end up picking a fight. Or just being a lame travel partner. Plus, in the case of our 2 cross country road trips, getting there really was the fun. So just embrace it and choose to start your vacation the minute you walk out your front door.

We’ve still got bottle rockets in our trunk from that detour to South of the Border and cry laughing thinking of the time we nearly missed our connection in Prague and got a lecture from the flight attendant about being late. Your favorite memories may just end up being in the ‘getting there’.

The Steele Maiden: Travel Tips for Couples

ROLL WITH THE PUNCHES –

Despite your best laid plans.. I promise you, things are going to go wrong. You’re going to actually miss a flight connection, get a flat tire, arrive to the hotel only to end up hating the property, The photo on the beach at the beginning of this post? Our camera fell off the tripod minutes later and the lens broke. On our last trip to Los Angeles I spent a night in the Emergency Room hooked up to an IV (after catching a terrible stomach bug) with Adam curled up in a tiny chair beside me. Our king sized bed and hotel room only a few miles away.

It’s all in how you deal with it. And for Adam and I that means as a team. Even if frustrations are high, we try not to take it out on each other (easier said than done if either of us is ‘hangry’) and come up with the best/quickest/cheapest/whatever solution. Then get back to the fun stuff. Do you really want to spend your entire vacation sulking over the fact that your baggage was delayed for a day?

The Steele Maiden: Travel Tips for Couples

WHO YOU ARE AT HOME IS WHO YOU ARE ON VACATION –

I’ve heard this more than once with couples I know – they go on vacation and all of a sudden one partner thinks that the other would want to go white water rafting or zip lining or shopping at luxury boutiques  all day. And, because the other is not at all the type of person who would ever want to actually do this, they begrudgingly go along with it and it ends in a fight (or in my sister’s case, tears on her honeymoon – what my brother in law was thinking with that hike when all she had packed was flip-flops – and hates hiking – I’ll never know…).

For example – Adam loves cars, so it would silly for me to get frustrated when we’re in a foreign country and he’s stopping every 10 feet to take photos of rare cars he’s never seen before. Likewise, I love laying on the beach but it’s not really Adam’s thing. So he’ll let me get extra time on the beach by being the one that leaves to go pick up lunch or run back to the hotel for a change of clothes. Sure, we’re traveling, but we are who we are – and you have to just respect that.

The Steele Maiden: Travel Tips for Couples

ALLOW TIME TO CONNECT –

Travel can be stressful and often feels like ‘high stakes’ – you spent $xxx on this vacation so you have to pack every moment full of sight-seeing and Instagram-worthy adventures. But we’ve found that as a couple, travel works best when it’s a balance of relaxing time spent really connecting and time spent exploring. So we’ll leave ourselves a morning or two to wake up slowly and hang out in the hotel room, or skip a night of checking out local bars for a bubble bath and movies in a king-sized bed (since we don’t have a bathtub or a big bed at home) instead. Then the next day hit the ground running.

The Steele Maiden: Travel Tips for Couples

BE GRATEFUL –

Honestly I think one of reasons that Adam and I have such a great time traveling together is because we never forget how grateful we are to do it. There were years in our early twenties when we were way too broke to travel (although even then we managed to pack picnic lunches and take day trips) so now that we have the opportunity to see the world together we feel lucky to do so. I hope I’m never standing next to this person that I love in the midst of a beautiful far-flung city bickering about some silly thing. What a waste of a gift.

And lastly, just for fun – a few travel selfies:

1st row (L): In Amsterdam, after a few cheap beers (R): En route to Montreal, sleepy

2nd row (L): In Miami, slightly sunburnt (R): In Charleston, swatting away mosquitos

3rd row (L): In Copenhagen, jet lagged (R): In Maine, battling the wind

The Steele Maiden: Travel Tips for Couples

SUMMER DATE NIGHT: MLB GAME WITH OLD NAVY

The Steele Maiden: Summer Date Night with MLB and Old Navy

Every summer, Adam and I make it a goal to enjoy as much of New York City as possible. On Saturday night, we tossed on our unofficial summer uniforms (me – stripes and neutrals, him – a fun shirt and easy denim) and kicked off the season by joining Old Navy for a MLB Mets game.

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HIS AND HERS HOLIDAY STYLE: COZY SLEEPWEAR WITH LANDS’ END

His and Hers cozy Lands' End sleepwear

One of the things I look forward to most about the holidays is having days off to truly unplug and relax. Most of all that means extra time to enjoy with Adam and my family, which means sleeping in and admittedly staying in pajamas far longer than is typically acceptable. Whether it’s the morning after Thanksgiving and you’re still in a food coma or you’re having a present wrapping/holiday movie marathon – cozy sleepwear is a must have for Adam and I this time of year. So bring on the flannel, the furry lined slippers and the monogram mugs filled with chai tea (for me) and black coffee (for him).

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